By Chukwuemeka Opara
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) agent for the collation and declaration of the governorship election in Ebonyi, Sen. Emmanuel Onwe, on Monday refused to sign the election’s result sheet.
An aggrieved Onwe, stormed out of INEC collation centre Abakaliki over perceived irregularities as some agents of other political parties, also refused to sign the document.
Onwe said before the walkout that the election, which produced Chief Francis Nwifuru of APC as the winner, was a sham.
The party’s candidate in the Feb. 25 senatorial election for Ebonyi South District, said that the result uploaded on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) before the result’s declaration was 188, 649.
“When one adds the 10,682 votes it got from Ishielu Local Government Area (LGA) before the result’s declaration, it will amount to 199, 331.
“The INEC state Returning Officer, however, announced that APC polled a total 199, 131 votes; so how does one reconcile the difference?.”
Onwe, a former state Commissioner for Information, noted that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner publicly declared that she was threatened and put under severe pressure.
“The collation officers of Ikwo, Izzi and other councils also declared that they were threatened and harassed,” he said.
He noted that he had unfortunately witnessed the “dark, sad procession to the death of democracy” in the state.
“I can no longer be part of this sham and disgraceful stab on democracy in the state.
“I cannot participate further in this charade and therefore will not sign the result sheet,” he said.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ebonyi, Mrs Pauline Onyeka, confirmed publicly that she was threatened in the course of the elections.
“I will not because of threats to me refuse to say the truth.
“I have no right to cancel or alter results and did not assist anybody, irrespective of the threats,” she said.
She urged aggrieved persons to challenge the outcome of the election in court if they were not comfortable with it.
“We will provide all you need to contest the outcome in court,” she said. (NAN)
